
          "The continent of North America, if properly cultivated, will prove an inexhaustible fund of 
wealth and strength to Great Britain; and perhaps it may become the last asylum of British 
liberty, when the nation is enslaved by domestic despotism or foreign dominion; when her
substance is wasted, her spirit broke, and the laws and the constitution of England
are no more: Then those colonies, sent off by our fathers, may receive and entertain
their sons as hapless exiles, and ruined refugees." Smollet's England v. II. p 329 (1745)

England in 1746. Her debts are enormous, her taxes intolerable, her people discontented, and the
sinews of her government relaxed. Without conduct, confidence, or concert,
she engages in blundering negotiations: she involves herself rashly in foreign quarrels 
and lavishes her substance with the most dangerous precipitation: she is even
deserted by her wonted vigour, steadiness and intrepidity: she grows vain, fantastical,
and pusillanimous: Her arms are despised by her enemies; and her councils 
ridiculed through all Christendom. ibid. 265.

Ext. [Extract] of a letter to Dr. [Perlee?] dated Lov. [Sav. Savannah?] [Lovejoy?] May 10. 1816.

You speak of my "review of Henry's Am. [American] Herbal," and express your opprobrium of it.
I thank you, but must at the same time inform you that I do not acknowledge it my review. 
I did indeed write, and enclose to the Editors of the Am. [American] Magazine a review of Henry's Herbal, 
with some observations on the impropriety of learned professors de sanctioning such a gross
imposition. When lo! out comes at last a garbled abstract, which approaches nearer to
an apology for Henry and his learned abettors. Have the review forwarded, along with an ex post 
facto low as an apology for this outrageous violation of all editorial rules.*

Had it not been for the sanction given to this workby Mitchell and others, I should
have considered it beneath all criticism,  and left it to sink by the weight of its worthlessness. 
This part of the review has been suppressed and other abhorations  made, which, had the editor, 
as he ought to have done, informed me was exceptionable, I should have withdrawn
the communication altogether. He had a right to publish it or not as he thought
proper, but by the rules of justice and equity he had no right to alter or abridge without 
my consent.  But to crown this act of editorial despotism often whittling and 
carving it out to serve his own purposes, and in fact making it his own own 
production he gives it the sanction of my name by publishing my private letter!! 
At least as much of it as suited him.

As the case stands thus; and as I was so imprudent as not to retain a perfect 
copy, will you have the goodness to call upon this dictatorial editor for my review, 
which, I think, is my  property, and which I also think I have a right to demand, 
and expose of as I think proper, his opinions to the contrary nevertheless notwithstanding. 
For fear of Demur, the order underneath may be cut out and presented. 
Should you have no objection to comply with this request and should receive  the 
[crossed out: illegible] original copy, pray look at it, give me your opinion and lay it aside
in some spare corner until further orders. I will not say but that. Some alterations
some softening of language might have been necessary, but I will say that any
alterations offending the sense and design of any communication of this Kind, shd. [should] 
never be made without the consent of the author. (Grammatical corrections are another 
thing.)

The editor of the Analectic magazine will have the goodness to furnish the bearer
Dr. A. [Perlee?] with the whole original copy of my review of Henry's Herbal in manuscript
as received from me and dated the 29th Nov. 1815, and oblige me.
Lov. [Sav. Savannah?](Geo) [Georgia] May 11th. 1816.

William Baldwin

*"It is always understood" &c see notice no correspondents on the cover of the magazine. This, I presume,
was manufactured for the occasion. And I really suppose that without the consent of the author, previously
obtained editors have no right to alter or abridge: they may, of course, publish or reject
as they think proper.

        